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Topic: UK - Bad News, Good News(ish) (Read 2414 times)

I've noticed a thread about the price increase in the US, but not about one coming in the UK at the beginning of April. If I'm wrong and just haven't spotted it, my apologies, but I thought I'd bring it to UK customers attention just in case you had a big purchase in mind, now would be the best time to invest. The increase I think is averaging out at around 8.8%, so no small amount. Regardless of the reasons, it's going to happen and personally I don't have a problem with it, prices go up in so many aspects of our lives I don't feel a need to complain.

So with the bad news given out, the good news is you've still got over 3 weeks to make your purchases at the current pricing, and at least if you go for it after April there won't be a huge shock at the price increase as you've been forwarned.

The increase I think is averaging out at around 8.8%, so no small amount. Regardless of the reasons, it's going to happen and personally I don't have a problem with it, prices go up in so many aspects of our lives I don't feel a need to complain.

It is called inflation correction because of the way money and economics work, but it's mostly around 2,5% in western countries. Considering this, Festool's anual close to 10% price increase is unjustified and thus a very good reason to complain.

It is called inflation correction because of the way money and economics work, but it's mostly around 2,5% in western countries. Considering this, Festool's anual close to 10% price increase is unjustified and thus a very good reason to complain.

It’s a free world and Festool is free to ask whatever prices it likes for its range of products. Its customers, existing and prospective, are free to pay those prices if they choose or “complain”, as Alex puts it/buy elsewhere, as I would put it.

What I would say as an existing customer is that Festool has lost a lot of ground to competitors in a number of areas and it is increasingly difficult to see a case for paying the Festool premium in many areas. They can get away with milking the customer base a bit on the consumables, but that would backfire taken too far. Most of the Festool product range is pretty mature now and I would expect real world prices to be coming down not going up.

The product improvements we have seen have been very slow coming:- eg the new hose (good), and wow a T-Loc top for the CT vac!. - How much of the R&D budget was squandered on the unmentionable Cleantec fittings - now called the best Festool dust extraction system of all time (I disagree)?- I recently bought a Vac-Sys set after much cogitation, but come on Festool, how come it’s supplied in a Classic systainer (so it cannot be stacked with my other tools)??

So I doubt that an 8.8% price increase on a mature product range will do the company much good ultimately - the retailers will have to discount more and then they won’t be happy.

Well, I received a 20% off voucher from eBay that had to be used within a few hours.

What to buy? I went for the Vac-Sys SE2 unit to go with the SE1 I got with the last eBay voucher - RRP £490.80 : Actual cost after retailer’s discount and eBay voucher £357. Even though I am a sucker for a good offer, that was not a bad deal!